Another New Home Brewer in Portland, OR

My fiance and I received a home brewing kit for Christmas and have our first brew (a Pilsner Urquell clone) fermenting right now.

Our first experience was a bit traumatic (took FOREVER to get the wort boiling on our stove and it turns out the brew shop photocopied the wrong second page of the recipe, which we didn't realize until we got home). We also didn't realize that apparently lagers are much more complicated than ales--we just figured that since our house and basement were on the cold side, it would be better to do a lager. I wish we had found this site before we actually got started! On the other hand, our beer is fermenting and we are totally hooked.

We are looking forward to learning more about the brewing process and getting the right equipment--our next purchase is definitely going to be a propane burner so that we can actually get some full boils going. Then a wort cooler.

Thanks to everyone for providing so much valuable insight--I feel like we've already learned a ton from reading threads on this site. For example that it was normal for it to take a while for our beer to start fermenting since we didn't do a starter and we were doing a lager. You guys rock! :rockin:

Welcome! The next Oregon Brew Crew meeting is Jan. 14th.

Welcome indeed!

Welcome...I may actually get off my lazy a$$ and make it to Jan's OBC meeting...maybe...

Welcome as well!

Sounds like you got off to a start like a lot of us, not knowing what the hell you were doing but you were having fun and that is the point.

Enjoy!

Welcome

Thank you for the welcome everyone! We'll definitely be looking into joining a brewing club in Portland so we may see some of you!

Bring your lady! We have a number of female brewers in the club and always welcome more. She's welcome even if she doesn't brew.

Welcome from East County, it does get easier. (sometimes)

david_42 said:

Bring your lady! We have a number of female brewers in the club and always welcome more. She's welcome even if she doesn't brew.

Click to expand...

Well, I am a lady, but I will be bringing my gentleman.

The krausen is starting to fall on our lager, so I'm thinking about taking some hydrometer readings in the next day or two. What do you guys use to take the readings in? I'm thinking about picking up a graduated cylinder, but I'm open to suggestions. Also need to pick up another carboy to lager in.

campanelly said:

The krausen is starting to fall on our lager, so I'm thinking about taking some hydrometer readings in the next day or two. What do you guys use to take the readings in? I'm thinking about picking up a graduated cylinder, but I'm open to suggestions. Also need to pick up another carboy to lager in.

Click to expand...

I just use the tube that the hydrometer is stored in. Works great.

Welcome from Pullman and WSU.. I also just use the tube the hydrometer comes in.. But I then take the tube and place it inside this small vase that my wife was gonna throw away. I like it because it holds the tube upright (a problem with using the tube the hydrometer comes in is it tends to not be very stable on the counter and knocks over easily) and also any wort that spills over the top of the sampling tube when I put the hydrometer in it spills out into the ugly vase and not all over the counter.

PS- My wife is from Battleground, WA so we get to Portland quite a bit.. Great city!